Pixar

If gamers want to know the direction the industry is going, look at what the kids are playing. Those are the customers who will be buying titles in five, 10, 15 years. Check out what they have their hands on, and they most likely have a tablet or smartphone.

“It’s the first screen for a new generation of kids,” said Bart Decrem, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Mobile. He described the new company initiative to capitalize on the platform, launching movies on the devices, using them for Marvel comics and enhancing the theme park experience with apps.

When it comes to gaming, the company is steering more resources to the mobile end as well, and they’ve been rewarded with hits such as Where’s My Water, an iPhone and Android game that was created with help from Disney Animation. (The studio did the character design). The popularity of the game and character, Swampy, has caught on so well that naturally the company is coming out with a plush toy of him.

When it comes to Pixar’s Brave, Disney is embarking on a similar path. But this time, the company was looking for a partner to make an addictive smartphone game starring its heroine, Merida, and they found the perfect formula in Imangi Studios’ Temple Run.

Like a few folks, I was surprised with the direction Pixar took with Cars 2. Quite frankly, I was expecting another adventure in Radiator Springs. but the trailer that’s been out for a few months shows a different approach — one involving spies and international intrigue. I can’t imagine Mater or Lightning McQueen going all James Bond on us, but there they are, engaged in espionage and saving the world.

It’s a genre that dovetails naturally into video games. There’s a number of directions that a developer can take the project, and when Avalanche Software heard about it, the team was excited. What did they come up with? It’s racer in the same vein asMario Kart. The developer that worked on the surprisingly good Toy Story 3: The Video Game returns with another Pixar-themed offering — Cars 2: The Video Game.

I had a chance to check out the game last week at the Academy of Arts warehouse building, which houses a large collection of classic cars. It was a fitting place for Pixar director John Lasseter and Avalanche Software senior producer Jonathan Warner and producer John Day to show off the game. It features 15 different tracks and eight modes that emphasize competitive, split-screen gameplay. There is no online play. Lasseter wanted a game fans can play locally with friends and family.

I’ve always been curious about Pixar. Living in Berkeley, I often pass by the Emeryville animation studio on my way to Home Depot or Best Buy. Usually, its gates are closed, but for once, Pixar opened them up. When I entered, I was expecting to see magic elves frolicking around a chocolate river with a purple dragon circling overhead, but there was no such thing. What I did see was a few short clips of the upcoming Toy Story 3, and just as importantly, I had a chance to play Toy Story 3: The Video Game.

“What’s the big deal?” you ask. “Aren’t movie games supposed to be bad?” Well, Avalanche Software and Pixar have worked closely together for the past 2 1/2 years to create a compelling title. It’s not going to be a rehash of the movie — well not all of it. The game will be divided into two halfs a Story Mode, which lets fans play through memorable film scenes, and a Toy Box mode, which is the open-world part of the game. Although the former has its merits, it’s the latter that has me abuzz.

Avalanche CEO John Blackburn said that the goal of Toy Box mode is to let players feel as if they’re playing with Andy’s toys. Woody, Buzz and Jesse (the three playable characters who play roughly the same) have to save a Western town from bandits. That’s roughly the narrative of this mode, but it’s what players can do accomplish missions and introducing different toys into the world that’s fascinating. Toy Story 3 is basically a sandbox game for the younger set similar to Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. They can do pretty much anything they want just like children would with their own toys. They can toss cows or shrink or embiggen them. They can climb atop cliffs and knock donkeys off.

But what I like about Toy Story 3: The Video Game is that the missions are generally fast and easy to do. Because this title is geared toward a wide range of ages, the developer, Avalanche Software, had to make the game more accessible with its mission design. Players will catch bandits and throw them in a jail that they’ll have to buy. They’ll have to give hair cuts to its denizens by picking them up and tossing them into a barber shop. All of this is done in three to five minutes tops, but they’re extremely satisfying.

From the short time, I spent with the game I liked the direction it’s going. It does feel like you’re playing with toys and taking part in make-believe adventures you remember as kid. The whimsy of buying Zurg’s tower and seeing flying saucers abduct bandits and the horses, essentially changes the dynamic of the world. Add more toys and the play ecosystem gets more complex. It’s fun and fascinating seeing how they all react to each other.

I’ll get more in depth with the gameplay and such later in the week, but for now, enjoy the video of our visit above.

The biggest change is Toy Story Midway Mania, which lets players put on 3D glasses and interact with characters from the Toy Story movie. From what I’m hearing, it sounds like the biggest, most complex arcade in the world.

It follows the path Disney has been taking for its rides, trying to get that gamer generation back into theme parks. Frankly, I like the trend. The Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters was the ride I liked the most. It seemed to be the most forward-thinking of the attraction’s there.

It’s basically the Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride except you shoot things, rack up points and get a picture e-mailed to you at the end. Disney even posts the high scores for the day. It’s not bad.

And here’s a tip: If you really want to rack up those high scores, pray for a slight hitch in the ride. Sometimes Astro Blasters pauses for some inexplicable reason (probably to let a person with a disability on) when that happens, blast away as much as possible at the highest scoring monster. It’s something to think about for folks going to Southern California for vacation.